Ag Fact! 4/23

Ag Fact! 4/23

Livestock Judging 1.0 Beef Cattle Sutherlin AST Adapted from University of Kentucky Judging PowerPoints and Georgia Ag Ed

Basics of Livestock Judging Evaluate market animals Evaluate breeding animals Do so based on industry wants

Steps to Judging Beef 1. Evaluate cattle from the ground up and from the rump (rear) forward 2. Evaluate the most important traits first 3. Eliminate any easy placings in the class 4. Place the class based on the volume of the important traits

Judging Market Steers Ranking Traits Degree of muscling Degree of finish (fat cover) Growth capacity Structure Balance Frame size

Evaluate Muscling Muscling Muscle is the product of meat animals More muscle means a more valuable animal Yield Grade Lower Yield Grade = more product

Evaluate Muscling Degree of muscling in steers is best determined by evaluating: Thickness through the center of quarter Width between rear feet when steer stands and(or) walks Shape over the top (butterfly shape desired)

Evaluate Muscling Thin Muscle Average Muscle Thick Muscle Super Thick Very narrow width Average width Good width Very good width

Evaluate Finish Finish Finish is the amount of fat on the animal More finish means better tasting product Marbling is intramuscular fat Quality Grade “Prime rib” Animals finish front to back

Evaluate Finish Areas to consider when evaluating degree of finish include: Top line Underline Body depth Brisket Tailhead Udder or cod Shoulder Over the ribs

Evaluate Finish Miss Fatty Smooth over top Fat tailhead 950 lbs 0.8 inches backfat Choice 50 4.0 yield grade Udder fat Loose underline Full brisket

Evaluate Finish Trim tailhead Clean over ribs $ 1,250 lbs Mister Muscle $ 1,250 lbs $ 0.2 inches backfat $ 1.6 yield grade $ Standard quality grade Empty brisket Indentation behind shoulder Tight, clean underline Empty cod Shallow rear flank

Evaluate Finish Nice brisket Too trim Full brisket (near ideal) Empty brisket (lacks finish)

Evaluate Growth Capacity Market steers with high growth capacity will be: Wide through the chest Wide between feet when walking or standing Uniform in their body depth Open through the ribs Long bodied

Evaluating Growth Capacity Good growth capacity Open rib shape Uniform body depth Wide chested Long bodied Wide walking

Evaluate Soundness Sound and structurally correct animals will have: Long, straight top line Long, level rumps Flexible, clean, flat joints Long powerful stride Good set to hocks and knees

Sound and structurally correct Evaluate Soundness Good set to hock Sound and structurally correct Good set to knee Strong pastern Strong pastern Big, square feet

Evaluate Soundness Poor structure Short, steep rump Weak top Long, straight top line Good structure Long, level rump

Evaluate Balance Balance refers to market steers having the correct portions of width, depth, and length Width, depth, and length should be in equal proportions that blend together

Evaluate Balance NO BALANCE ALERT ! Too short Too light in hindquarters Heavy fronted Too shallow in rear flank

Evaluate Balance Clean necked Good fronted steer Smooth shoulder

All the parts (width, depth, and length) fit together nicely Evaluate Balance Well Balanced Steer All the parts (width, depth, and length) fit together nicely

Evaluate Frame Size The optimum steer for today’s market should be medium framed and finish at about 1,200 lbs Large framed steers will get too big before developing adequate finish Small framed steers will be early maturing and get too fat before they reach optimum weight

1,400 lb large framed steer with no finish Evaluate Frame Size I=m too big 1,400 lb large framed steer with no finish

900 lb small framed steer with too much fat Evaluate Frame Size I=m too small 900 lb small framed steer with too much fat

1,250 lb medium framed steer with proper finish Evaluate Frame Size 0.4 Backfat $ 13.5 in2 Ribeye $ Low choice quality grade $ 2.8 Yield grade I=m just right 1,250 lb medium framed steer with proper finish

Example Market Steer Class I

1 2 3 4 Placings By Traits

Official Placing: 2 - 4 - 3 - 1 Cuts: 3 - 5 - 6 1 2 3 4 Placings By Traits Muscle: 2-4-3-1 Finish: 2-1-4-3 Capacity: 2-4-3-1 Structure: 4-3-2-1 Balance: 4-2-3-1 Frame: 2-4-1-3 Official Placing: 2 - 4 - 3 - 1 Cuts: 3 - 5 - 6

Example Market Steer Class II

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 Official Placing: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 Cuts: 4 - 3 - 6 Placings By Traits Official Placing: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 Cuts: 4 - 3 - 6 Muscle: 2-4-1-3 Finish: 1-4-2-3 Capacity: 4-1-2-3 Structure: 4-1-2-3 Balance: 2-4-1-3

Judging Beef Heifers Soundness and structural correctness Capacity or volume Style and balance Degree of muscling Femininity

Evaluate Soundness Soundness and Structural Correctness More important in breeding animals than market animals Breeding animals produce for longer and need to be able to walk/move years more than market animals

Evaluate Soundness When evaluating structure and soundness, attention should be given to the following areas: Feet Pasterns Hocks Knees Rump Shoulder

Evaluate Soundness - Feet - Poor depth of heel Feet turned out (not square) Hoof-skin junction too close to ground

Evaluate Soundness - Feet - Excellent foot Good foot size that is square Good depth of heel Foot sits flatly on surface

Evaluate Soundness - Pastern - Pastern too weak Pastern too straight

Evaluate Soundness - Pastern - Excellent pasterns Flex with strength Nice set to pasterns

Evaluate Soundness - Hocks - Too straight (post-legged) Sickle hocked Cow hocked

Evaluate Soundness - Hocks - Excellent hocks Correct set to hocks (square, flat boned, powerful)

Evaluate Soundness - Rump - Short and steep rumped from hooks to pins

Evaluate Soundness - Rump - Excellent rump Long rumped and level from hooks to pins

Evaluate Soundness - Shoulder - Too straight in shoulder Too coarse through shoulder

Evaluate Soundness - Shoulder - Excellent shoulder Nice set and smoothness to shoulder

Evaluate Capacity Capacity (volume) is determined by three factors: Body width (rib shape) Heifers should be wide bodied with good spring of rib Depth of body When viewed from the side, body depth should be at least 1/2 the distance from the top of the back to the ground Length of body Heifers should be long bodied

Evaluate Capacity Snake Alert Short bodied Shallow rear flank Narrow bodied (no spring of rib) Shallow rear flank

Evaluate Capacity Excellent, wide open rib shape Excellent, uniform body depth

Evaluate Style and Balance Style and balance is related to how well all the pieces of the heifer fit together. Points to consider include: Straightness of top line Balance between body width, depth, and length Smoothness and angularity of front Blending of the shoulder, ribs, and hip

Evaluate Style and Balance Unbalanced Alert Coarse, opened shoulder Coarse shoulder Thick neck and wasty dewlap Short necked Pinched in forerib

Evaluate Style and Balance Good front-end Excellent style and balance Smooth, angular front Straight top line Long, clean neck Width, depth, and length balanced

Evaluate Muscling To determine degree of muscling, evaluate the following: Thickness through the center of the quarter when viewed from the rear Width between rear feet when the heifer walks or stands Shape over the top

Evaluate Muscling Light Muscled Average Muscled Heavy Muscled Very narrow Average width Good width

Great top shape (heavy muscled) Evaluate Muscling Great top shape (heavy muscled)

Evaluate Femininity When evaluating femininity in heifers, attention should be given to: Refinement of head Length of the neck Angularity of the neck and shoulder Blending of the shoulder to the forerib

Too thick through neck and shoulder Evaluate Femininity Coarse head Too thick through neck and shoulder Not feminine Is it a heifer or a steer?

Evaluate Femininity Not feminine Too much shoulder Excess hide in dewlap

Evaluate Femininity Long, clean neck Refined head (narrow muzzle) Clean, angular shoulder Good blending of shoulder to forerib Super feminine

Example Beef Heifer Class I

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 Official Placing: 1 - 4 - 2 - 3 Cuts: 5 - 2 - 5

Example Beef Heifer Class II

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 Official Placing: 1 - 3 - 4 - 2 Cuts: 3 - 5 - 4

Market Steers Class III

Market Steers III - #1

Market Steers III - #2

Market Steers III - #3

Market Steers III - #4

Market Steers Class III

Market Steers Class III Feedlot Steers Class #2 Evaluated by: Celina Johnson Placing: 2-3-4-1 Cuts: 3-4-5 I placed this class of feedlot steers 2-3-4-1. The red steer wins as he best combines yield and quality grade. He shows the most natural shape down his top, over the loin and is thicker and more expressive through his quarter. Additionally, he is more structurally sound, being more neatly laid through the shoulder than 3. He should hang the carcass receiving a lower numerical yield than 3. 3 is longer sided. However he is fatter and straighter through his shoulder than 2, so he is second. Nevertheless it is 3 over 4 in the middle pair. The black steer is the thicker topped, wider based steer of the pair that should produce the more muscular carcass. I realize the Hereford appearing steer is sounder made, however he is lighter muscled, being flatter through the quarter and narrower based when viewed from the rear, so he is third. Yet in the bottom pair, its 4 over 1. 4 is more market ready as he shows more evidence of finish over his rib, around his tailhead and is fuller in the flank. Additionally he is higher volumed, have more depth and dimension to his rib. Yes, the yellow steer is leaner, but he is the furthest from his endpoint and should hang the least desirable carcass of the four, so he is last.

Angus Heifers Class A

Angus Class A #1

Angus Class A #2

Angus Class A #3

Angus Class A #4

Angus Heifers Class A